Your name is Kankri Vantas and you´ve come to a slight disappointing conclusion. No matter how long you frown at the stack of payment bills in front of you on the kitchen counter, they just won´t disappear.

You suppose half of them are from the renovations of the new library you recently gained ownership of. Last week ago, a rather awful pipe leakage ruined most of the yet empty shelves and the gray carpet you had put in by a good friend when you first bought the place. Fortunately, you haven´t gotten around to putting the books up yet, they were still stored in your attic for labeling when the surprise flood happened.

This served as a misfortune as well. You were almost done with setting everything up and opening ´´Vantas´ World of Imagination´´.

Your friend, Cronus Ampora, the same one who did the carpeting job, laughed when he first heard the name and called it gay. After scolding him on how he shouldn´t use that word especially not with such a tone of voice since it could have negative outcomes to any homosexual with a self loathing issue on his sexual orientation who might´ve heard him right then, you told him that your first choice was ´´Vantas´ Enlightening Literature Reading Nook´´ but Aranea had a reasonable argument as to why that title wasn´t fitting. So you went along with her idea and you had every intention on keeping it, despite tactless scorners might say.

And you did. But now it´s going to take a couple of months or so until you can actually open your library.

You like to think of yourself as a very calm and reasonable person, so you refuse to throw any childish tantrums about it or let your good mood be affected.

You start sorting the bills and working up plans on how to manage them with what little money you have left from your previous jobs.

An hour later, you decide to make yourself some coffee. It was only 10 PM, but seeing as the bill pile wasn´t getting any smaller any time soon, you figure you require a cup now.

As the machine started brewing, you rest your head in your hand and think back of what inspired you to start your own business in the first place.

Some of your university friends, namely Aranea Serket and Damara Megido decided they wanted to open up a small restaurant at a local mall. Their idea was extraordinary as well, they wanted it to be a mix of the English and Asian cultures. They settled for an underwater theme, completed with sunken pirate ships and dark haired boys with tentacles painted on the walls with life sized prints.

Despite the amount of potential triggers in the paintings and almost nonexistent dress code for the employees, it was a hit instantly.

You wanted this for yourself. You didn´t want to spend your life as a waiter, scratching up savings just to get by as you tried to complete your college courses. You wanted your job to be your passion, educating people, lending knowledge and doing it as not just an enjoyable past time, but as a livelihood as well.

And here you are, only steps away from fulfilling the dream. Or, were. You had forgotten about the busted pipe for a moment.

With a heavy sigh, you pour the steaming coffee into a big mug, add two and a half teaspoons of sugar and head back to your seat.

You´ve just taken your place and focused your wandering mind back onto the paper lying in front of you when the doorbell rang, shrill and eerie throughout the silent house, startling you just the slightest.

Confused, you stand up. No one visits you this late at night, unless it´s Peixes, but she tends to hammer on the door unnecessarily and shout ´Kanny´ over and over until you answer.

You make your way to the door, calling out to let them know you are coming. Whoever they are, they´re rather respectable and tolerant. They didn´t knock, shout or ring again.

You unlock the door, open it and come face to face with no one. Your front steps, driveway and district are completely deserted. Not one sign of a vehicle or running pranksters anywhere in sight.

Letting out a tiny huff of displeasure, you turn away. This happened often when you first moved in, but frankly, you anticipated your neighbor´s kids to be past this tomfoolery at their age.

You go to close the door, when a dark form on your door mat catches your eye. At first glance, you think someone´s dog had decided to nap on your mat. When realization slowly bleeds into your thoughts, your hand drops off the doorknob and you stare with a hanging mouth.

You suppose it´s an error in your genetics or whatsoever. Whenever you find yourself in the middle of a particularly horrifying or frightful situation, you freeze up. Your reflexes don´t bother with fight or flight, you stay rooted in your place like a stubborn mule for several seconds before you can trust your body with obeying your mind´s orders again.

While your friends made fun of you because of it, you never thought it was a laughing matter, especially not when you or others might be in danger.

Currently, the latter is correct.

Your name is Kankri Vantas and you have a child bleeding to death on your porch steps.